The changing face of serviced offices: How expectations of serviced office providers have grown and how venYou is delivering

American fashion designer, Cynthia Rowley once said, “If you love your workspace, you’ll love your work a little more”. For decades, workspaces have adapted to the evolving needs of the people who occupy them, from closed-off cubicles and large, private corner offices to hot-desking set-ups and, what is perhaps the starkest break from tradition, the remote working arrangement. Despite an increase in employees returning to the office post-pandemic, the novelty of working from one’s kitchen or living room remains appealing to many employees.

Equally, now more than ever, value for money is at the heart of business decisions in order to protect a company’s bottom line. The result of these shifts is a new onus on serviced office providers to attract people away from the comforts of their own homes and back into shared and more collaborative working spaces with their team.

In this month’s blog, we examine how changes in attitudes, expectations, and business needs have impacted serviced office providers.

Changing Attitudes towards Work

In today’s recruitment and jobseekers landscapes, ‘hybrid’, ‘fully remote’, or ‘office-based’ are becoming increasingly commonplace metrics, and can influence whether or not a prospective employee applies for certain role. This shows the growing desire and expectation that a working environment should be agile, flexible and suited to modern living.

By offering 24-hour access, as well as around-the-clock security and IT facilities to support businesses that work across various time zones, serviced office providers offer companies user-centric solutions that maximise productivity. Office spaces of today need to accommodate the growing appetite for a good work-life balance, and ensure an accessible, comfortable space for employees to work when it suits them best.

Serviced offices provide clients with the best of both worlds, with open desk space that allows for collaboration alongside private desks, booths or meeting rooms that can be used when required. In this way, serviced office providers can provide workspaces that motivate and inspire more than a home office, whilst increasing productivity with a range of spaces suited to the client’s needs.

Changing Ways of Living

It’s unsurprising that one of the outcomes of a global pandemic is an increased awareness of physical and mental health. Many workers are becoming increasingly cognisant of the impact things such as exercise, food, being outdoors, and general lifestyle can have on all aspects of their wellbeing.

Serviced office providers have also become more mindful of this. With increased use of outdoor spaces such as balconies or terraces, and an emphasis on light and airy rather than dark and moody, many office designers have taken heed of the importance of vitamin D and socialising when it comes to a person’s health. Offices have also started to introduce greenery, relaxation spaces and the provision of wellbeing services.

There has been a shift in working culture, with many workers now viewing their work as an extension of their routine, rather than a separation. This is why many serviced office providers also provide discounts for local fitness facilities, have on-site gyms, and provide healthier meal options and filtered water.

Whilst the traditional pizza parties or staffroom bake sales are still commonplace, on-site bike storage, running clubs and even mindfulness sessions are also been utilised by serviced office providers to encourage employees to return to the office.

Changing Business Needs

Business managers have increased their expectations of serviced office providers. Office spaces are now expected to enhance businesses, not only simply support them, and social events, networking opportunities, ‘Lunch and Learns’, as well as state-of-the-art technology are also becoming an expectation.

venYou, Belfast’s superior serviced office and business workspace solutions provider, has a dedicated Client Services team that works closely with all clients to support and progress their businesses; we see ourselves as an extension of their business.

And as attractive as the home working arrangement is, we have experienced an increase in return clients and new client enquiries due to our ability to meet the needs of clients as outlined above.

With soon to be four state-of-the-art, high-quality locations in Belfast City Centre, venYou offers benefits and perks that employees cannot get at home. We offer workspaces on flexible contracts that are adaptable and that work for our clients. We recognise that the market for serviced office space is a competitive and ever-changing one, which is why we are committed to providing a bespoke, quality service our clients can rely on and one that continues to evolve as our clients’ business requirements continue to do so.

venYou is proud to create workspaces that our clients love and that employees want to come to.